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USAC Hall of Fame
It was announced at the USAC "Night of Champions" National Awards Ceremony this past Friday that USAC is developing a Hall of Fame. I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on who belongs in it?
1) Ideas on first ballot nominations? 2) Who would you like to see in the USAC HoF? DM |
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2) Vogler, Gary Bettenhausen, Larry Dickson. There are lots more, but just three of each off the top of my head. |
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1st Class
Duane Carter Jimmy Bryan A.J Foyt Roger McCluskey Mel Kenyon Rich Vogler Tony Stewart Future Mario Andretti Parnelli Jones Don Branson Sleepy Tripp Sheldon Kinser Steve Butler Al Unser John Caples Galen Fox Paul Leffler Rodger Ward Pancho Carter Steve Stapp Larry Dickson Gary Bettenhausen Rich Vogler JJ Yeley Butch Hartman Don White Ray Nichols :8: :35: |
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Pat O'Connor, of course.
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I don't want to take anything away from those guys who have passed on but I think this honor would be more meaningful if it can be given to guys while they are still alive and able to enjoy the honor.
Maybe the first class could be a rather large group of legendary racers. As for a list of names, I will admit, I'm an outsider and not familiar enough with the history of USAC racing to give a meaningful list. Edit: Jack Hewitt. |
Car owners Steve Lewis & HAR.. Chassis builder Bob East
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Richard Hoffman in the first class and Rob Hoffman in the future
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I think at some point Dave darland has to be considered
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Wally Meskowski and George Bignotti
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Bob and Ralph Wilke, Bob Higman and A.J.Watson, Sheldon Kinser and Jim Hurtibise.....etc.
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Well I think about fifty of the best of the best drivers, car owners. Mechanics should be in in the first wave. You can do the 5-7 per year thing after setting a baseline.
I'd be afraid just to state a few names knowing I'd leave some of the best of the best out just from familiarity standpoint alone. |
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aj watson,Lloyd shores.galen fox,wally meskowski,jud philips,bob estes,just to name a few.
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I am with Chuck, I can't decide who to leave off the list. I have seen a lot of good suggestions, and not a dud in the bunch.
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They need to breakdown the nominees into various categories. Drivers, car owners, mechanics, car builders, race promoters, press etc. Sadly folks like J. C. Agajanian and Tom Marchese may get overlooked. Over the weekend one fellow on Facebook wanted Doug Wolfgang and Steve Kinser in the USAC HOF. What????? Hopefully USAC will pick a nominating committee to vote 10 to 20 names in the first class of the USAC HOF.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._C._Agajanian |
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How about Bob Tattersal--and Bob Wente
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AJ Foyt
Tom Bigelow Mel Kenyon Tony Stewart Bob East USAC's 1000th race winner Donnie Adams Posted via Mobile Device |
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Sometime in the future I'd like to see Johnny Pawl, Harry Turner, Ben Leyba, Don Kenyon, Willie Davis, Ray Smith and Steve Stapp in the USAC HOF.
Add Jimmy Davies and Tommy Hinnershitz to the impressive list of drivers. |
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"1st Class"
Duane Carter Jimmy Bryan A.J Foyt Roger McCluskey Mel Kenyon Rich Vogler Tony Stewart Gotta agree with D.O. on this list.....99% anyway... I can't imagine Hewitt not being in the 1st class inducted, especially due to his 4crown accomplishments along with the rest of his amzing driving career, and I feel that a driver like Hewitts accomplishments outside of USAC and beyond their driving career should count towards deeming them worthy of induction..USAC standouts that have had plenty of success in non USAC races or success as owners or in the industry or as offcials or just all around ambassadors to the sport I mean. I couldn't bump anybody on D.O.s 1st class list to include Hewitt but I dang sure couldn't see any other driver going before him. I would also expect to see Robbie Stanley, Jeff Gordon, Kenny Irwin, and Kevin Olson nominated in the first handfull of years. |
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If you run now you shouldn't be eligible for the first class, that should be reserved for the guys who put it where it is today, like the Atlas' who carried it on their shoulders.First Class only.
Tony Hulman AJ Foyt, what needs to be said. Gary Bettenhausen and Larry Dickson, you can't have one without the other. It wasn't called the Larry and Gary show for nothing. Also helped USAC gain some limelight with their battles. Mel Kenyon, midget divisions greatest ambassador. Tom Bigelow, because he was the best rep for USAC with the fans for 15 years. Pancho Carter, From midgets to Indy cars, he did it all. Rich Vogler, wether you loved him or hated him, Thursday night Thunder gave USAC national exposure, and Rich was the show that did it. Mario Andretti. Won in everything from midgets to Indy in USAC. Went from USAC Champ Dirt Car Champion to F1 champ in 3 years. Actually though, they do need to add at least 20 to the first class. I just hope they don't do just recent guys, and forget the guys who built it. |
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It's a long list of worthy racers. My list was quickly assembled to help trigger more great names.
I think it should be a mixed of passed and alive racers. It's always good to hand the award to the winner. I think the first should be the people who built USAC. That's why I put Duane Carter who ran USAC in the early days. It's a pick that won't make everybody happy cause their guy didn't make it, but that is why you add every year. I would suggest they add about 20 to start to cover the builders of USAC to the great that have moved on to bigger things like Stewart. Just random thoughts. :35: |
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Man somebody has some tough decisions to make but a few I would through in the hat would be the staff that was lost in 1978.:(
Ray Marquette, USAC's vice-president of public affairs and a former sportswriter for The Indianapolis Star Frank Delroy, chairman of the USAC technical committee Shim Malone, starter for USAC races and head of its midget racer division Judy Phillips, graphic artist and publication director of USAC's newsletter Stan Worley, chief registrar Ross Teeguarden, assistant technical chairman Don Peabody, head of the sprint division Dr. Bruce White, assistant staff doctor |
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Any official PR on this? Didn't see a story?
Jason Dull 815 494 6002 jdull99@hotmail.com jasondull.com (For all the Racing News) |
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If we are talking current drivers I would think you would have to go with Jerry Coons Jr. & Dave Darland JMO
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There are so many past USAC driving legends and people that played a part somewhere on the sidelines that it could take 10 years for them to catch up.
Jack Hewitt was a personal hero and should be an automatic in my mind. |
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Good ideas, everyone. I think one thing is certain, the first class will be reserved for the pioneers of USAC.
I was in the USAC office yesterday having a discussion with regard to this topic. There has been no official release about it just yet to my knowledge, but there will be a Hall of Fame Race this May and the first class will be announced then. A panel of voters has yet to be decided upon, so it's in the early stages of development. Look for news to come out soon about it as time draws near and a panel is selected. But keep the ideas coming. DM |
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Tom Bigelow
Robbie Stanley Mel Kenyon Rich Vogler Jack Hewitt |
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Here's a list of folks in the National Sprint Hall of Fame that might be eligible, although I'm not sure some of them did enough in USAC to be considered (especially the West Coast people). The year is the year of their inductions into that HOF. We could do the same with the Midget HOF inductees.
1990 A. J. Foyt, Jr. 1990 Floyd Trevis 1990 J. C. Agajanian 1990 Larry Dickson 1990 Tommy Hinnershitz 1991 Don Edmunds 1991 Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. 1991 Parnelli Jones 1992 Alex Morales 1992 Art Pillsbury 1992 John C. Vance 1992 Jud Larson 1992 Rich Vogler 1992 Sheldon Kinser 1993 A. J. Watson 1993 Chris Economaki 1993 Gary Bettenhausen 1993 Jim Hurtubise 1993 Roger McCluskey 1993 Troy Ruttman 1994 Don Branson 1994 Earl Baltes 1995 Bill Hill 1995 Don Smith 1995 Johnny Rutherford 1995 Louis Vermeil 1995 Wally Meskowski 1996 Johnny Thomson 1996 Mario Andretti 1996 Rollie Beale 1996 Tom Bigelow 1996 Willie Davis 1997 Bobby Unser 1997 Bruce Bromme, Sr. 1997 Dick "Toby" Tobias 1997 Dick Wallen 1997 Hiram Hillegas 1998 Dean Thompson 1998 Gary Patterson 1998 Grant King 1998 Norman "Bubby" Jones 1998 Sam Hanks 1999 Eddie Sachs 1999 John Sawyer 1999 Lealand McSpadden 1999 LeRoy Van Conett 1999 Steve Stapp 2000 Al "Cotton" Farmer 2000 Allen Heath 2000 August "Gus" Hoffman 2000 Chester "Chet" Wilson 2000 D. William "Speedy Bill" Smith 2000 Jimmy Oskie 2000 Joe Saldana 2001 Bob Hogle 2001 Eddie Leavitt 2001 Gary Stanton 2002 Galen Fox 2002 Jack Hewitt 2002 Jim McElreath 2002 Joe Scalzo 2002 Sam Traylor 2003 Al Hamilton 2003 Allen "Sammy" Sessions 2003 Ron Shuman 2004 "Boston" Louie Seymour 2004 Billy Wilkerson 2004 Chuck Amati 2004 Chuck Gurney 2004 Don Peabody 2005 Bill Holland 2005 Don Brown 2005 Elmer George 2005 John Mahoney 2005 Robbie Stanley 2005 Steve Butler 2006 Granville "Buster" Warke 2006 Jimmy Sills 2006 Jud Phillips 2007 Earl Gaerte 2007 Glen Niebel 2008 Bob Hampshire 2008 Brent Kaeding 2008 Dick Jordan 2008 John Padjen 2008 Johnnie Parsons, Sr. 2008 Melvin "Tony" Bettenhausen 2009 Allan Brown 2009 Jim Chini 2009 Lee Osborne 2009 Rip Williams 2009 Roger Rager 2009 Tommy Nicholson 2010 Don Shepherd 2010 Hank Arnold 2011 Anthony "Andy" Granatelli 2011 Bruce Bromme, Jr. 2011 Jimmy Boyd |
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Daryl Guiducci
Galen Fox ---------- Post added at 10:12 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 AM ---------- Brian Tyler Jack Steck |
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Lets not forget Sleepy Tripp, maybe one of the best to ever strap in a midget...
Pancho Smoke AJ to mention a few more |
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Ronnie Allen and all The Officials that Lost Their Life in a Plane Crash, and "The Rim Rider" Chuck Gurney
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Foyt, Parnelli, Tony Hulman, Mario, the Unser brothers,Jimmy Bryan, Mel Kenyon, Rich Vogler, Tony Bettanhausen,Roger Ward.
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I may be a bit biased but I can't imagine Jack Hewitt not being in the first class. 2 time silver crown champion most silver crown wins second in sprint wins swept the 4 crowns.
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you can haul tails to noxville in dakotas and see i made haul of fame
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I think first couple of years should be a mix of drivers owner and mechanices from the part and ones who are still alive but retired from active raceing . I feel the ones still alive should be honored so they could enjoy being inducted
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hello all, this is my first post to the board. been reading it for a couple of years, but never felt i had anything worthwhile to add until now.
given usac's long history with american motorsports, the first class shouldn't be limited to 5 or 10 people. 50 plus years leaves a lot of catching up to do. there's a lot of people now gone that belong as well as those now retired from active competition to choose from. after the first class, limit the inductees to 12 per year, 5 drivers, 5 owner/mechanics and 2 "other"(press,media,promoters etc.). as to where to locate the hall, indy is the only choice, but not the speedway. how about at the fairgrounds mile? plenty of history there, and a have the hall at a track to boot. if you want a stand alone site, is the 16th st stadium still there? that would be a good use if it is. as to who should go first, i agree with almost all the names mentioned, but noted one not mentioned. lonestar jr, johnny rutheford should go in, too. |
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